Clock calendar



Sept. 21 1926. 1,600,913

G. M. VAN DY KE CLOCK CALENDAR 1 Filed August 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1In V8.17 t0 Gimp/f ham mym a&rna y,

Sept. 21,1926. 1 1,600,913

G. M. VAN DYKE 1 CLOCK CALENDAR Filed Augfist 4, 1924 2 SheetsSheet 2Even tor. GMALD. /'7. VA/v W5.

Warm 1 Patented Sept. 21, 1926 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

GERALD MASON VAN DYKE or rmn'rsrn; CHINA, Assmnon or ONE-THIRD TO THOMASJ. MCNALLY AND ONE-THIRD TO HUGH. K. MACDOUGALL, BOTH OF TIENTSIN.CHINA.

CLOCK CALENDAR.

This invention relates to clock calendars and has particular referenceto a calendar secured to the hour hand of the clock or an extensionthereof, which calendar is equipped with means for registering the dateand day of the week simultaneously with the rotation of the hour handabout the face of the clock. I

The primary object of this invention is to equip a calendar with anindicatingmeans and gravity actuated mechanism whereby the date, day ofthe week and time will be accurately and positively presentedforobservation as the hour hand or its extension is actuated by the clockmechanism.

A further object of this invention is to provide a plurality of datediscs, which may be suitably fastened to the permanent face of thecalendar whereby a complete calendar will be displayed, with the discssopositioned and arranged that the first day of any succeeding month willaccurately follow the last day of the preceding month thus eliminatingthe necessity of adjusting the calendar.

Other objects are to provide a novel clock calendar arrangement that iseconomical to manufacture, positive in operation and a calendararrangement which is readily applicable to standard types of clockswithout materially altering the construction of the same.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of thefollowing description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

Fi ure 1 is an elevation of a clock face showing my improved calendarsecured thereto,

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view disclosing twelve discs that may besubstituted for the permanent face of the calendar,

Figure 3 is an enlarged rear View of the back of the calendar showingthe mechanism for operating thesame, v v

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section through thecalendar, the view being taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure?) is aside elevation of which is secured to the hour hand.

the strip Serial No. 730,051.

In my co-pending application filed March 25th, 1924, Serial Number701,764, I have also devised means for registering the day and date ofthe week simultaneously with the rotation of the hour hand about theface of the clock, but in this device it was necessary to employ a cogwheelat one side of the calendar which appreciably limited the size ofthe calendar.

In the present clock calendar, I am able to employ an exceedingly largesize calendar without interfering, in any respect, with any part of theclock mechanism or the reading of the clock as long as the diameter ofthe calendar is not greater than the dis tance from the shaft carryingthe hour hand to approximately the periphery of the clock face. In myformer invention it was also necessary to adjust the calendar at the endof the period of one month, but in the present device the step ofadjustment can be eliminated by the provision of a circular block ofdates detachably fastened to the permanent face of the calendar. It willbe observed that I have provided a complete calendar with all the daysindicated thereon with the dates in each block or dial so arranged thatthe first of each month will occupy the angle or column on the circle ofdatesof each succeeding month corresponding to the angle or columnfollowing the last day of the month in the preceding month. With thisarrangement the only at tention that the calendar requires is thenecessity on the first day of each month to remove the date disccovering the preceding month and the indicator designating the date willthen be on the first of the present month, the mechanism of the calendarrequiring no adjustment.

In the present invention I have also devised mechanism so that thecalendar will remain in an upright position, at all times, regardless ofthe angle of the hour hand or its strip, thus making it possible to haveall the indieia printed thereon in an upright position, at all times.Thus it will be evident that the calendar can more easily and morereadily be read.

Referring now to the drawings, the nu meral 13 designates the face of aclock which is equipped withthe usual minute hand 14 and hour hand 15,the hour hand having socured thereto an attachable strip designated as awhole by the numeral a detailed description of the strip and itsfunction will be given hereinafter.

Carried in the strip 15 is a pintle 16, which, in turn, supports thecalendar mech anism. The calendar embodies in its construction a disc 17which is carried by the pintle and is free to rotate thereon and isherein referred to as the day disc. This disc is preferably made of thinmetal and has arranged on its face and adjacent its periphery and fromleft to right the days of the week. Likewise mounted on the reducedportion 18 of the pintle is a date disc 19 of a larger diameter thanthe' diameter of the disc 17 positioned in frictional contact with thedisc 17, and disposed rearwardly thereof. This date disc 19 hasdisplayed thereon, an arrangement of a plurality of numerals rangingfrom one to tl lrty-one, to indicate the various dates of the month andlikewise has displayed thereon abbreviations for the various months,which abbreviations are grouped in the columns bearing the datestwenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty and thirtyone, according to the numberof days each month contains.

These abbreviations of the month are so placed for the information ofthe observer who does not happen to know the days in each particularmonth.

Mounted rearwardly of the date disc 19 and spaced therefrom androtatable with the pintle 16 and loosely mounted on the reduced portion18 thereof, I have provided a wheel 20 equipped with a peripheral ledge21 and forming in reality an internal gear provided with ninety-eightteeth, the peripheral ledge extending rearwardly so as to cover theexternal teeth of a second gear wheel 22. It will be observed that thiswheel 22 revolves on the enlarged portion of the pintle 16, is spacedfrom the wheel 20 and rotates with the pintle. This second Wheel 22 isequipped with ninety-one teeth which mesh with the teeth of the internalgear. By enlarging the pintle adjacent one end and mounting the wheel 22thereon I have shifted the center of the wheel a sutlicient distance toassure a regular and constant meshing of its teeth with the teeth of thewheel 20.

The numeral 23 designates a small weight element preferably notexceeding one-half ounce in weight, which I propose to make an integralpart of the wheel This weight elementfunctions to gravitate cons'tantlvdownward, and. accordingly, as the hour hand 15 moves to the right(clockwise) the action of the weight moving downwardly causes the wheel22 to set up a force counter to the way the hour hand is turn ing. Fromthis action it will be evident that the wheel 20 which carries anindicator will be retarded by the counter action and movement of thewheel gear 22, which retards the speed of the wheel 20 to approximatelyone-fourteenth of the speed of the hour hand. Thus when the hour handmakes two complete revolutions the wheel 20 makes only one-seventh of arevolution and the indicator 2% on the wheel 20 will be carried onlyone-seventh of the distance around the calendar in twenty-four hours orthe distance between the space indicated bythe reference characters Aand B, which space indicates one day of twenty-four hours. It is to be.noted that this indicator revolves in absolute co-ordination with themovement of the hour hand of the clock, at one-fourteenth the speedthereof, thus indicating to the observer at all times, the day of theweek and date of the month.

The upright position of the calendar, at all times, regardless of theposition of the hour hand is realized by applying a small weight asindicated at 25 on the bottom of the calendar disc 19. This weight ispreterably of one-eighth ounce and as the hour hand moves to the rightthe lower side of the calendar will always gravitate downwardly andcause the calendar face consisting of the discs 17 and 19 to remain inan upright position. The frictional contact between the discs 17 and 19,causes them to assume the same position as before referred to.

Referring now to Figure 5, the rectangular metal strip 15 has integrallyformed therewith end clips 26 and 27. These clips are adapted to embracethe hour hand of the clock so as to form a positive connectiontherewith, and while the strip is here shown attached to the front ofthe hour hand it is to be understood that it may be readily applied tothe back of the hour hand. This strip is provided with a can trallypositioned slot 32 adapted to encircle the clock shaft 33, whichsupports the hour and minute hands. The said strip is likewise providedadjacent its lower extremity with an aperture 34 which strip has fixedthereto the pintle 16.

As shown to advantage in Figure 2, the numeral 35 designates a pluralityof dials preferably made of very thin stiff paper and perforated as atThese dates are preferably placed one in back of the other with theiropenings 36 registering and with the disc bearing January as the firstof the group and the disc bearing December as the last of the group.They can then be secured to any of the fastening elements indicated asat 37 on the face of the calendar and suspended therefrom. These dialsare positioned within the glass covering of the clock face and are soarranged that the first of each succeeding month will be in a similarcolumn to the one which follows the last date in the preceding monthand, accordsaid means including a substantially rectangular strip, apintle positioned in one end of said strip and securing elements formedadjacent the opposite end of said strip for cmln'acing the clock hourhand an internal and external gear positioned on the pintle and disposedrearu'ardly ot the calendar, a weight element carried by the internalgear, an indicator carried by the external {rear and rotatable therewithfor registering on the face or? the calendar fixed periods of timecorrespmnling to the movement 01 the hour hand about the face oi theclock.

In combination with the hour hand of a clock, a calendar embodying inits construc tion a day disc a date disc in frictional contact andhaving indicia thereon, means for securing the calendar to the clockhour hand, an external and internal gear having their teeth in mesh andpositioned rearwardly of said calendar and carried by the calendarsecuring means, an indicator connected to said externa gear, a weightelement carried by said in t ,tal gear. and cooperating with theexternal gear for caus re; the indicator to register with the indicia ofthe calendar. whereby fixed periods of time will be indicated as thehour hand travels about the face of the clock.

.1-. In combination with the hour hand of a clock a calendar, means forsecuring the calendar to the hour hand of the clock, a plurality ofindicia bearing discs detachably secured to the face of the calendar,gear n1echanism positioned rearwardly oi the calendar and supported bythe calendar securing means, an indicator carried by the gear mechanism,and gravity controlled means carried by the gear meehanisn'i toractuating the. indicator wherel'iy fixed periods o't time will beregistered on the indicia of the detmhable discs as the hour handtravels about the tat-e ol the clock.

In combination with the hour hand of a clock, a calendar, weight meanscarried by the calendar for retaining the same in an upright position,means for securing the calendar to the clock hour hand, a plurality ofindicia bearing discs detach-ably secured to the taco of the calendar,gear mechanism positioned rearwardly at the calendar and supported bythe calendar securing means, an indicator carried by the gear mechanism,and gravity controlled means carried by the gear mechanism for actuatingthe indicator whereby fixed periocs of time will be registered on theindicia of the detachable discs as the hour hand travels about the taceoi the clock.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

GERALD MASON VAN DYKE.

